"An indispensable book for those who want to understand the compulsion and politics of recent Chinese and Indian involvement in Africa, written by experts in a language accessible to the non-expert."Yash Ghai, Activist, and scholar of international law, and Chairman of the Constitution of Kenya Review Commission 2000-2004.

Major changes are taking place in the global economy and polity. While China's relationship to Africa is much examined, knowledge and analysis of India's role in Africa has until now been limited but, as a significant global player, India's growing interactions with various African countries call for detailed analysis of the Asian giant's influence and its relations with the African continent.

In this original book, which enables readers to compare India to China and other 'rising powers' in Africa, expert African, Indian and western commentators draw on a collection of accessibly written case studies to explore inter-related areas including trade, investment, development aid, civil society relations, security and geopolitics.